Lost
by Rogue Tomato
Summary: An attack on Five-0 leaves one member missing and one with no recollection of what happened.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of its characters.

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>Chapter One<br>**- - - - - - - - - - -********

Danny wakes to the unmistakable smell of hospital. Pale blue walls come into focus. The tug of an IV in his forearm. A nurse standing near his bed, wearing a bright green blouse, checking his vitals. Steve's face suddenly looms over him, his face taut with concern.

"Danny, can you hear me?"

Danny blinks his eyes. Steve sounds muffled. Distant.

_Is there cotton in my ears?_

"Danny," Steve says more forcefully. "Danny, open your eyes."

_Did I close them?_

_What's going on?_

_Why am I here?_

Danny tries to jog his memory and attempts to move his arms, but has little success in doing either. He can't remember what landed him here in the hospital, with his brain refusing him access to his memories. He feels like he doesn't have control over his body.

"I'll go get the doctor," he hears a feminine voice say quietly, and he opens his eyes to see a bright green blurry blob exit the room, closing the door behind it.

_Is my vision getting worse? _

_What's going on?_

A hand grips his arm.

_Is Steve still here? _

Danny turns his head. Steve's face is still alarmingly close to his. Danny wants to ask Steve what the hell is going on, but he can't get his mouth to work. His body feels heavy, making Danny feel trapped in the bed with its scratchy sheets and stiff mattress.

_What happened?_

Steve looks impatiently at the door, and then back to Danny. Danny waits for Steve's facial expression to soften, but it never does. The same impatience is there, as if he is waiting for Danny to do something.

_What, am I not recovering fast enough for you? Tell me what's going on, dammit!_

"Danny," Steve says again, some urgency lacing his voice. He leans in even closer to Danny's face.

Steve looks like he hasn't shaved in over a day, the five o'clock shadow turning into more of a late-evening gloom. He looks like he hasn't slept, either. His eyes are red and raw. Creases on his forehead rival those of his trademark 'aneurysm face.'

"Danny, where's Kono?"

_What?_

Steve's question rattles around in Danny's head as his tired mind tries to make sense of the unexpected query. How is Danny supposed to know where Kono is? Danny is just barely beginning to register where he is, and now he is expected to keep track of the rookie? Where is Chin Ho? Is Steve going to ask Danny where he is too?

"Danny, please focus. Where is Kono?"

Annoyance begins to seep in. Why all this concern about Kono? It isn't Kono who is in a hospital bed. It isn't Kono whose head feels like it was run over by a steam roller. Where is Steve's concern for his partner's well-being?

"How the hell… should I… know?" Danny's voice comes out like a groan.

The door to the hospital room flies open, a loud _bang_ piercing Danny's ears as the door slams against the wall. Another blurry figure makes its way over to Danny's bed. Whispering voices. Worried tones. Getting louder now.

"…says he doesn't know."

"What are we…"

Danny shuts his eyes, sleep calling out softly to him, luring him away from the land of the conscious. The allure of slumber is all too welcoming. He wants to get away from the loud voices. Away from Steve's aggravated glare.

"Danny?"

Danny's eyes pop back open without him telling them to.

_Dammit._

Chin's face now hovers over him. He looks tired. Troubled.

"Danny, do you know where Kono is?"

Now Danny is impatient.

_Fine._

_Clearly I am supposed to know where she is. _

He tries to remember. Nothing immediate comes to mind. He summons images of her. Kono surfing. Kono in her office. None of these memories seem recent. Or even real. He tries something simpler. What did he have for breakfast this morning? Eggs? Cereal? Cold pizza? He can't remember that either.

Impatience turns into worry. Worry begins to turn into panic.

He can't remember anything. Nothing!

A hand squeezes his. He yanks it away. Another hand clasps his shoulder. He shouts out. An alarm begins to sound. A flurry of activity around him. Blurry shapes moving in and out. Calming voices telling him to relax.

_What's happening?_

_Why am I here?_

_Where is Kono?_

Now he's infected with everyone's worry surrounding Kono's whereabouts, and he doesn't even know why.

His arm feels warm and a tingling sensation spreads across his entire body. His panic recedes and a new feeling washes over him.

_Guilt._

But why?

Danny begins to drift away, sleep's jealous nature demanding his full attention now. He gladly gives in, his consciousness ebbing away, succumbing to blissful obscurity.

And Danny begins to dream….

He's standing in Five-0 headquarters, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and his weapon in the other. Laughter is emanating from Steve's office, and Danny suddenly finds himself sitting behind Steve's desk. Chin and Steve are laughing at him. It's not a malicious laugh, but Danny is annoyed nonetheless.

The coffee and weapon are gone. So is the desk. Now he's standing on the side of a random road. His feet are wet. He is hot and sweating. He senses Kono's presence behind him, but he doesn't turn to look at her. He just continues to stare at the motorcycle sitting idly in front of him.

Kono's voice calls out to him, but still he doesn't turn.

"_I am not getting on that speeding death trap."_

The sound of his own voice surprises him.

More laughter from Steve and Chin.

Kono's yelling out to Danny now. He turns around, but before he sees her face, the motorcycle's engine roars to life and Danny startles awake.

Same hospital room. Same pale blue walls. But this time he is alone.

He brings up his hands to rub his face, surprised when he feels material instead of skin. He carefully moves his fingers around, discovering that his head is wrapped in gauze. He takes stock of the rest of his body. Under his unflattering hospital gown, he finds dozens of scrapes and bruises.

_What happened to me?_

The simple fact that Danny cannot remember what landed him in the hospital disturbs him more than the myriad of injuries he seems to have sustained. Perhaps he shouldn't be surprised. Ever since he'd become a cop, he'd found himself in the hospital on numerous occasions. But he'd always remembered what had happened to get him there.

This time is entirely different.

He feels his palms begin to sweat. Heat creeps up the back of his neck. Not wanting a repeat performance of last night…

_Was it last night? Earlier today? How long had he been asleep?_

…Danny takes several deep breaths, forcing his nerves to take a backseat to his logical reasoning. There has to be a rational explanation. Gauze on the head. He has a head injury. Probably a concussion, too, considering the memory loss. Scrapes and bruises. He obviously had been involved in some kind of confrontation. Caught in an explosion, perhaps? He looks down again at the lashes on his arms and legs.

_A run-in with the Whomping Willow?_

He sighs.

The last time Danny was awake, Steve and Chin had frustrated him with their odd interrogation. But now the taxing silence makes his hospital room feel small, and he begins to wish he had some company. Someone who could possibly shed some light on why he is in the hospital and what all the concern is surrounding Kono's whereabouts.

And so he waits. He wonders if he should call Steve. Is he supposed to be with Grace today? Or is she still in Maui with Rachel?

Danny perks up. Finally! Something he can remember! Rachel took Grace with her to Maui yesterday for a mini-vacation. At least he thinks it was yesterday. In any case, he's comforted by the fact that he remembers something. And though it's one small detail, it's at least a start.

He isn't alone for long before the door to his private room opens and there is Steve, standing in all of his haggard glory. This time there is no impatience. No irritation. But the stress is still there. The tension. And when Steve's eyes meet his, Danny can see the emotions run their course until the mask is put back in place.

"You're awake."

It's a simple statement, yet it conveys Steve's feelings that he's trying so hard to hide. Fear. Anxiety. Relief.

Steve makes his way over to the side of Danny's bed, pulling the visitor's chair over and taking a seat. Danny takes note of how Steve's shoulders slump. How his eyes are hollow and preoccupied.

"I'm awake," Danny says, only because he can't think of what else to say.

Steve has at least shaved and is sporting a clean shirt and a pair of cargo pants. He leans in closer, putting his hands on the silver railing on Danny's bed, and he hangs his head, letting out a drawn-out sigh. When he looks back up, a small smile flickers across his face, and for a moment, Danny sees Steve's tired eyes light up. But then it's gone.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Danny."

"Okay," Danny comments. "But it would be helpful to know what it is I'm not supposed to be doing."

"Yesterday," Steve explains, letting go of the railing and leaning back in the chair. "You had a panic attack. Scared the shit out of me. We finally get you back, and then…"

Steve shakes his head then rapidly rubs his face with the palms of his hands, as if he is trying to physically wash away a painful memory.

"What do you mean, 'get me back'? Where was I?"

Steve's hands fall away from his face, and he leans forward again, resting his arms on his knees.

"What do you remember?"

Danny shrugs and then looks away, feeling slightly ashamed. Danny has always prided himself on having a good memory. On being able to remember even the smallest details of crime scenes or testimonies... even flashbacks to his childhood. Right now he can vividly recall every little detail about the first time he met Rachel. What she was wearing. The smell of her perfume. The softness of her skin when they awkwardly shook hands.

And now he can't remember anything about what happened to him or why he is here. And it _really_ bothers him.

"I can't…" he stumbles over his words. "I don't remember anything."

He looks back to Steve to see his partner nodding sympathetically.

"What happened?"

Steve looks down at his hands and then back to Danny.

"The doctors say it would be best if you remember on your own. That it's an important process for you to…"

"Screw the doctors, Steven!" Danny shouts, cutting across what was sure to be a very logical explanation on why it's important for the brain to fire its own neurons and other medical jargon crap. Danny closes his eyes against the pain in his head that his little outburst created.

"Please," he says, keeping his eyes shut, his voice pleading, his hands gripping the sheets. "Tell me what happened."

He hears Steve sigh. Then he hears the chair scraping a few inches across the floor. When Danny opens his eyes again, Steve is there, right next to the head of the bed. His jaw is set. His eyes are hard. But he smiles.

"Okay, Danny," he says in a hoarse whisper. "But there is only so much I can tell you. Because up to a certain point, I just don't know anymore. Maybe this will help jog your memory. I hope so…"

He trails off, and then fixes Danny with a small frown.

"Because if you can't remember…. then I'm not sure we'll ever find Kono."

Danny doesn't understand, but before he can ask, Steve begins to tell his story. And Danny hangs on every word, hoping Steve is right…. hoping this will help him remember.


	2. Chapter 2

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>Chapter Two<br>**- - - - - - - - - - -**********

_**Three days ago….**_

_"Another body has been found."_

_Steve didn't need to explain further. He knew Danny would know the meaning of his words. He watched as Danny leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, before standing. They walked out of Five-0 headquarters together. Steve had called Chin, and he and Kono were already heading to the crime scene. _

_It was a long and quiet ride out to Yokohama Bay. This would be the fifth body found in five weeks. Five-0 took over the case from HPD after the third victim had been found. Each victim was between the ages of 25 and 35, alternating between genders; each found in the same gruesome fashion. This one, like the others, had been found alongside a remote trail in the middle of nowhere. The only thing different was the day. _

_The other four bodies had been found on a Monday. Today was Friday._

_"I think this is it," Steve said as he pulled the Camaro off Farrington Highway and onto an unpaved access road. "HPD got an anonymous tip from some hikers this morning. According to them, the vic is a young female, between the ages of twenty-five and thirty. They were pretty spooked, but said that it didn't look like she had been there long."_

_Silence from the passenger-side of the car, but Steve saw Danny nod. Steve maneuvered the car carefully down the road, trying his best to avoid the large puddles and potholes that plagued its surface._

_"How could anyone possibly enjoy hiking in this weather?" Danny asked, gesturing with his right hand to the forest just outside his window. "It's been raining for days. There can't be any decent trails around any more."_

_"Well, there are die-hards, Danny. People who hike in any weather."_

_"Like you, I suppose?" Danny asked, pointing over to Steve._

_"You could say that," Steve responded. "However, I…"_

_Steve was distracted by the conversation, and without him realizing it, he had drifted too far to the right. The Camaro sunk slightly as it traveled over the soggy shoulder of the road. Eventually it rolled to a stop, wheels spinning. But without any traction, they were literally stuck in the mud._

_"Great," Danny commented from next to him._

_"Looks like we're walking from here."_

_Steve and Danny exited the Camaro and made their way the best they could up the path. The rain had finally abated, leaving behind a looming humidity and the smell of damp earth. The trail was practically nonexistent. The only feature that distinguished it from the forest around them was the lack of foliage directly beneath their feet._

_They didn't make it far before Steve's cell rang. He pulled it out of his back pocket, glancing at the screen to see that it was Chin calling._

_"Yeah Chin?"_

_"Steve, there's no body."_

_Steve stopped walking, putting a hand up to tell Danny he should hold up._

_"What?"_

_"There's no body," Chin repeated, sounding slightly out of breath. "I went to the area where the hikers claim they found the victim. There's nothing there."_

_Steve sighed._

_"Where are you now?"_

_"Farrington Highway."_

_"We're on our way."_

_Steve hung up, putting his phone back in his pocket._

_"The body is gone," he reported to Danny as he turned around and headed back toward the Camaro._

_"What do you mean, 'gone?'"_

_"I mean it's gone, Danny," Steve repeated. "Chin and Kono got here first. There's nothing there. We're meeting them back at the highway."_

_"Fantastic," Danny scoffed. "What about the Camaro?"_

_"We'll hitch a ride with Kono and come back for it later with a tow-truck."_

_Steve turned back to see Danny looking longingly over to his car, which was thoroughly entrenched in the mud. He smiled, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder._

_"Sorry, man."_

_Danny waved him off and walked past him as they began their trek toward the highway._

_Twenty minutes later, Steve saw Chin and Kono standing on the side of the road. Chin smiled and Kono waved as Steve and Danny took the final few steps, emerging from the forest edge and back onto the cement roadway._

_"Finally!" Danny gasped. "Civilization!"_

_"Where's your car?" Kono asked, looking over Danny's shoulder as though she expected to see it driving itself behind them._

_"Mario Andretti here got it stuck in the mud."_

_Steve rolled his eyes._

_"What have you guys got?"_

_"Things felt off from the minute we got here. There's no body," Chin reported._

_"We gathered that much," Danny remarked as he tried to scrape off several inches of mud from his shoes. "Where is it?"_

_"Don't look at me," Kono said, pouting. "Chin made me wait by the bike to flag you guys down."_

_"But, you weren't here when we arrived," Steve observed._

_"After I saw there was no crime scene," Chin explained, "Kono and I drove around for a bit to see if there were any other trails leading off the highway to the area. There aren't. This is the only access point for miles. Yet there were no tire tracks. No footprints. Nothing to indicate hikers had been visiting this area today."_

_"Maybe they took one of the less accessible trails?" Steve offered._

_"I thought so too," Chin continued. "But I called HPD. The hikers who called in the anonymous tip were quite clear that they entered this way. They even offered very specific coordinates. They also didn't leave a name or number, and when I had HPD trace the number, it ended up going to a burner."_

_"You think it was a prank?" Kono asked._

_"Maybe," Steve answered. "Or someone moved the body. Either way, we should get back to HQ. Once we're there Kono, contact someone at Kaena Point Tracking Station. It's nearby. See if anyone has seen anything suspicious lately."_

_"Sure thing boss."_

_"Where is your car?" Danny asked, looking around them. _

_"I rode with Chin on his bike," she said, realization suddenly dawning all of them. Without a car, there was no way they would all be able to ride together back to the office. At least two of them would need to stay behind._

_"Peachy," Danny started, throwing a menacing scowl over at Steve. "Not only do you get my car stuck, but you effectively strand us here in the middle of nowhere!"_

_"Relax. You and Chin can ride back to HQ on his bike. Kono and I will hike down to where the body was supposed to be. I'd like to take a look at the area, make sure there isn't anything we're missing."_

_"No way," Danny said, involuntarily taking a step back. "I am not getting on that speeding death trap."_

_Steve and Chin laughed._

_"Would you rather stay here and take a look at the scene?"_

_"Yes," Danny answered, surprising Steve. Danny had never been one to volunteer to go __into a jungle._

_"And I'll take Kono with me," Danny added._

_"I really should be the one to come with you," Steve insisted. "This topography is unique. I wouldn't want you getting lost."_

_"Topography? Oh, please," Danny dismissed with a wave of his hand, turning his back on his partner. "You coming, rookie?"_

_"Right behind you," Kono said with a smile. Before she turned to follow Danny, she showed Steve her phone. "I've got the coordinates right here, boss. We'll see you in a bit."_

_Steve didn't love the idea of leaving the two of them behind, but since Danny was already twenty yards back down the trail, he admitted to himself that he probably didn't have a choice. Hopping on the back of Chin's bike, he took one last look at his two teammates before the motorcycle roared to life and they took off down the highway._

* * *

><p>"That was the last I saw of you for three days," Steve admits, looking back down at his hands, which are firmly clasped in his lap.<p>

"Three days. When I came back in my truck, you and Kono were nowhere to be found. We looked everywhere. The trail. Your Camaro. The highway. Kaena Point. You were both just… gone. Neither of you were answering your phones. It was as if you had just vanished."

Danny stares at Steve for a few minutes after he's finished telling his version of events. It is a strange feeling to hear about something that happened only a few days ago, and yet he can't remember a single thing about it. Danny can see the expectant look in Steve's eyes when he finishes, obviously hoping he would be able to jump right in and continue the story.

But Danny only shakes his head, and Steve's frown grows more pronounced.

"I should have stayed behind," Steve adds softly. "You had no business going into that jungle with Kono. It should have been me."

"Don't… don't do that," Danny scolds. "From where I am sitting, that wouldn't have changed anything. You'd be here and Kono would still be missing."

Steve doesn't look up and Danny sighs, sinking back into the pillows on his bed. He considers Steve's story, trying to recall any of the details of the past few days. He's exhausted and his head hurts, and neither of those things are helping his memory.

"The motorcycle," Danny offers hesitantly, and Steve's head pops up. "I think I remember that. Only, not really. It's just… I dreamt about it last night, I think."

Without anything further to offer, silence falls again between the two partners.

"What happened next? How did I get here?"

Steve sits up again his chair, one hand reaching to rub the back of his neck before he looks Danny in the eyes and continues.

"Yesterday was Monday. Chin and I were just waiting for the phone to ring…"

Steve trails off and Danny sees the defeated look in his eyes and he understands. The case they were investigating… the victims were always found on Mondays…

"You think this is connected?" Danny asks.

Steve manages to shrug and nod at the same time.

"We got another anonymous tip," he shares, his own tiredness seeping into his voice. "Only this time there _was_ a body. Yours. We found you past Peacock Flats in Wai'anae. You were… pretty beat up."

Danny closes his eyes, imagining the scene in which Steve and Chin come across his body, laying in the middle of some godforsaken Hawaiian jungle. The relief they must have felt over finding him alive only to become rapidly dwarfed by the dread of their still-missing colleague.

"A short time after finding you, we found another body," Steve continues and Danny's breath hitches. Kono? But no. She's still missing.

"A man... further up the ridge. He was in… similar shape as you."

Danny furrows his brows.

"Really? Who is he?"

"Jackson Cooper," Steve discloses. "I got quite a bit of information out of him before the docs kicked me out."

"And?" Danny urges.

"They lured us out there, Danny. The original tip was a fake. There never was a body."

Steve is unable to keep still any longer and he stands up, walking to the end of Danny's bed to pace back and forth in the small hospital room.

"I don't understand," Danny says. "Why bring us all the way out there? And who is 'they?'"

"Cooper and his associates," Steve answers, stopping to look briefly at the door to Danny's room before resuming his pacing. "According to him, he and his buddies had a plan to ambush all of us. Their ultimate goal was to separate us and take Kono once we were at the crime scene."

"Why not grab Kono while she was at the bike?"

Steve nods.

"I wondered the same thing. According to Cooper, they were waiting for us down the trail, well away from the highway. They didn't have time to double back when Chin showed up alone. So they waited… and it paid off when you and Kono arrived at the scene. Alone."

Steve swallows hard before looking at Danny once again.

"They planned on killing Kono on Monday to send us a message, Danny. A message showing that they could get to anyone, at anytime. It was supposed to be a message telling Five-0 to back off the case."

Danny sits quietly and waits as Steve resumes his pacing at the foot of the bed.

"So it is connected," Danny states quietly. "This Mr. Cooper… he confessed to killing all those people?"

Steve doesn't stop moving, but nods. Danny bites his bottom lip.

"We must have been getting close, then… figuring out who and where they were. They must be desperate if they are going so far as to kidnap two officers."

"Desperate? Or cocky?"

Danny doesn't have an answer. He remains still, fighting his body's insistence that it fall back asleep, trying to digest Steve's information. Danny had been taken by those lunatics who were murdering people on a weekly basis. Yet, he obviously wasn't dead. Why leave him alive for Steve and Chin to find? It didn't make any sense. Not to mention the fact that if they had kept to their pattern, the next victim was supposed to be female. And if they had stuck with their plan, then that means that Kono...

"Wait," Danny says and Steve stops moving. "You said they planned to kill Kono? Then why I am here, and she isn't?"

Steve shakes his head.

"I don't know," he acknowledges quietly. "I was hoping you would be able to tell me."

"Cooper isn't talking?"

Again, Steve remains silent.

"It must be killing you not being able to throw him in a shark cage or hang him off a roof or tie him to a hood of a car," Danny comments.

"That last one was all you," Steve throws back.

"But there has to be a way to get information out of him," Danny continues. "Have you called the Governor?"

"Yes," Steve says, clearly irritated. "She got me clearance to talk to him in the first place. But his condition worsened as I was speaking with him and I was told that unless I want him dead, I should back off for the time being."

"_Unless you want her dead, Mr. Williams, I suggest you back off."_

The memory jumps out at Danny so suddenly that he lashes out. He grips the side of his bed so tightly that his knuckles ache. Steve is by his side in an instant.

"Danny, what is it?"

Danny sees his partner's mouth moving, but he doesn't hear what he's saying. The memory has latched onto him and refuses to let go... everything around him is foggy and surreal.

_"Okay, okay."_

_Danny dropped his weapon to the ground. The gun made a squelching sound as it landed in the thick, wet mud at his feet._

_A man walked over and bent low to pick it up. He smiled a toothy grin at Danny before clocking him over the head._

"Danny!"

Steve is shouting now and Danny is brought back to the hospital room.

Once again he hears alarms blaring loudly. A nurse is shooing Steve out of the way as she resets the monitor nearest him. She turns to Steve, apparently scolding him for upsetting her patient, but Danny only hears the thudding of his heart. The whooshing sound of his panicky breathing.

Steve sidesteps the nurse to grab Danny by the shoulders and looks him in the eye. Very slowly, Danny can feel his pulse slowing and he begins to hear Steve speaking to him.

"…it, Danny. That's it. Just focus, okay? Relax."

Danny closes his eyes, but when he does, all he can see is Kono standing in the middle of the jungle, a gun to her head, trying to be brave. But he sees past it all… past her defiant façade and straight into her soul where all he can see is a petrified young woman.

"There were three men," Danny whispers. "On the trail… one of them…" He shakes his head, the vision beginning to fade. He tries to hold on, but it's like trying to grasp water. It begins to seep through the cracks in his mind.

"A gold tooth!"

"What?" Steve asks, still gripping Danny's shoulders tightly.

"One of them smiled at me and he had a gold front tooth," Danny finishes, exhaustion overwhelming him now as though conjuring up the memory has drained him of all of his energy.

He sinks back into his pillows and closes his eyes. He feels Steve give his shoulders a reassuring squeeze before he drifts off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

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>Chapter Three<br>**- - - - - - - - - - -************

"This is not a good idea, Mr. Williams. Please, reconsider."

Danny shakes his head as he buttons up his shirt. He is sitting on the edge of the hospital bed in the small room that he has been forced to call home for the past several days. Enough is enough. It's time for him to blow this Popsicle stand and get out here.

It's time to find Kono.

It's already Thursday. If Jackson Cooper's associates keep with their normal, albeit psychotic, schedule, then Kono is going to be killed in four days. While this information had been cause for alarm, it did give the team a spark of hope.

It means that Kono is still alive.

Over the past twenty-four hours, Danny has tried to force the memories to surface about what happened to him and Kono. He wishes he had been able to spout off exact geographical coordinates, but all that has come to mind are small flashes of information. They had been in the forest. They had ridden in the bed of a truck. He remembered a dark, gray, windowless room. Nothing extremely useful. And nothing that made any sense to Danny.

The vision he'd had about the man with the gold tooth had provided little assistance to the case. Chin was able to identify him using Danny's description. He was a low-life who had spent most of his life in and out of the system. A raid on his apartment in Ewa Beach yielded nothing; neighbors stating they hadn't seen him in months.

Regardless of his lack of information, Chin and Steve are already heading up a massive search of the Wai'anae Range, and Danny is desperate to join them.

The attending physician finally realizes that his protests are falling on deaf ears and he hands over a stack of paperwork for Danny to sign. Before he knows it, Steve is standing at the door, wheelchair at the ready.

"Really?"

Steve grins.

"Hospital policy, Danno."

"I think I've just signed the rights to my life away, and you think I'm worried about hospital policy?" Danny remarks, grudgingly sitting down in the wheelchair. "And don't call me Danno."

Danny is still quite sore from his various injuries, and he accepts the help Steve offers when they finally reach the Camaro. The trip out to Wai'anae speeds by as Steve catches him up on what they have accomplished over the past 24 hours. When they arrive at the scene near where he was found, Danny already feels drained.

"Anything?" Steve asks after Danny steps out of the car and into the dense forest.

"Nothing," he replies, squinting in the sunlight that is streaming through the canopy above. "But maybe if you gave me longer than thirty seconds, I'd have a chance to look around a minute."

Steve simply puts his hands up in a defensive manner before sweeping them out, gesturing for Danny to lead the way.

There are HPD personnel canvassing the area all around them, the sounds of branches breaking and voices calling out echoing in the forest.

Danny walks past Steve down the trail, sensing him fall into step right behind. He takes it all in… the trees, the ground cover, the trail. Any hopes of some immediate reaction are quickly shattered, as he senses nothing familiar about this forest. Nothing here triggers his memory, and after only being there for a few moments, he's already miserable.

As if sensing Danny's dejection, Steve is suddenly at his side.

"Hey, don't worry. We just got here. There's a lot of ground to cover. Maybe you'll see something at a different location."

Danny rubs his chin and sighs. Though Steve is right, Danny is still heartbroken. Each minute that passes is one more minute that Kono is still missing; her chances of being found dwindling away, and he can't help but feel responsible. If only he could remember.

They continue to walk down the path, their progress only delayed occasionally by an HPD officer coming up to report something to Steve, or when Danny needs to stop to catch his breath. It's slow going and Danny is keenly aware of Steve's anxiousness regarding his condition… the way he hovers by him and how he points out every little rock on the path that he may trip over.

"You are the ugliest mother-hen I have ever seen," Danny says, stopping their walk to look up at Steve. "Why don't you go on ahead? I'll take a look around and let you know if I recognize anything. Ok?"

Steve furrows his brow, placing his hands on his hips.

"Are you sure? I think it would be better if I stayed here with you."

Danny brings up his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I just need some space."

Steve just looks at him, arching a single eyebrow.

"Go," Danny orders with a sweep of his arm.

Steve reluctantly nods, and then turns to catch up with an HPD officer who is several yards ahead. Danny follows but at a much slower pace, taking in the surrounding woods. Trees. Trees and bushes. Trees, bushes and sticks. Seriously, how are they supposed to find Kono in this mess?

_Stop it, Williams. Pull yourself together._

He stops scolding himself and takes a calming breath. He can't afford to get pessimistic now. He's a detective for God's sake. Sure, he's made his career out of finding evidence at crime scenes involving dark warehouses or suburban homes. How difficult can it be to spot something out of place in a jungle?

Really, is this Hawaiian jungle any different than sifting through the aftermath of a barroom brawl in Jersey?

He spins in a small, slow circle, taking everything in. Danny forces himself to take a logical approach… to look past the trees and see the forest, so to speak.

"Excuse me!" he calls out to an officer near him. "Can you tell me where the suspect was found?"

The officer points directly over Danny's shoulder and he turns to see a large incline. Partway up the slope he can see yellow police tape outlining a portion of the undergrowth. He makes his way up slowly, carefully avoiding rocks and branches on the ground that may trip him up. Using the abundance of trees for support, he finally arrives at the partitioned area.

He takes a few minutes to investigate, but comes up empty. He glances further up the hill and sees more areas marked with HPD's yellow barrier tape and decides he might as well go all the way up. Once he reaches the top, Danny is sweating from the exertion, and he bends over slightly, putting his hands on his knees.

Straightening up, Danny finds that he is standing on the side of a dirt road. It is extremely narrow, with trees crowding in from both sides. The surface is uneven, with numerous bumps and divots marking the terrain.

He walks to the right, scanning the area for anything that looks familiar. A nagging feeling gnaws at him, but he can't place its source. Several minutes of walking and exploring pass by and nothing triggers his memory. He turns to retrace his steps in the opposite direction, not wanting to veer too far away from the crime scene.

Stopping near the edge, he peers back down the edge of the hill to see if he can spot Steve or any other HPD personnel on the path below. But the dense vegetation makes it difficult to see much of anything.

_How far did I walk?  
><em>

Danny curses the heat and the Hawaiian jungle for messing with his usually more than adequate sense of location before pulling out his cell phone to call Steve for what is sure to be a humiliating phone call.

_Yes, Steven, I'm lost in the forest._

Danny sighs, hitting the speed dial, and looking out at the area around him.

_How can I even tell him where I am? Everything looks the same!_

Just as he hears Steve answer, Danny's vision goes hazy and he instantly drops to one knee as a wave of nausea hits him and a memory takes over…

_Everything looked the same._

_Danny's head throbbed as the truck rocked and bounced across the rough terrain. He wanted to close his eyes to block out the sunshine that shone down, mocking him with its bright rays. But he kept them open, constantly scanning the area, trying to find any indicators that would tell him where they were or where they were going. But all he saw were trees. Tall trees… short trees… the occasional stump of a tree… a fallen tree. _

_It was no use. Everything looked the same._

_It didn't really matter where they were. The time had come to put his plan into motion. _

_It hadn't taken Danny long to figure out who had kidnapped him and Kono. The room they had been housed in for the past three days had obvious signs of being used before. Dried blood and urine. Markings on the walls. Signs of someone trying to pick the lock. But the final piece that put the puzzle together was a conversation Danny had overheard the previous night. One that made his heart stop and his blood run cold._

_He didn't share any of what he had learned with his companion. Kono hadn't made any indication that she had come to realize who their captors were. Whether it was because of inexperience or denial, Danny couldn't say for sure. But he didn't want to spook her any more than she already was, so he kept quiet._

_When they came to take her away from the room, Danny put up such a big fuss that they ultimately were forced to bring him along. He had another gash on his arm for his trouble, but at least Kono wasn't alone with these madmen. And now Danny stood a real chance at getting her out of here._

_And now they were traveling down an abandoned road… one not unlike three others he had visited over the past several weeks. Danny looked at Kono, who was seated across from him. He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and she did the same. She looked worn-out and uneasy, and he was sure he looked equally as distressed. Neither of them were bound, but the two weapons trained on them were enough to give Danny pause. _

_He wasn't like McGarrett, whom he was certain knew over two hundred ways to kill a man. Normally, he wouldn't be willing to risk an attempt to overpower one of his captors. Normally, he wouldn't voluntarily put himself into harm's way. _

_But this situation was far from normal._

_He'd made peace with his decision long ago. And even if his choice only bought Kono a few more days, he had to believe it would be enough._

_The vehicle began to slow and Danny noticed a shift in the mood. This is it, he thought. Danny looked around, but it didn't look like they were any closer to civilization than when they first started. The man across from him, the one with the gold tooth, checked his weapon, flicking the off the safety mechanism, and Danny saw Kono's body tense._

_The truck stopped in the middle of the trail. Danny looked over his shoulder to see that the car was situated dangerously close to the top of what he would categorize as a small cliff. _

_The driver exited the vehicle and walked to the rear of the car, a menacing look on his face. He completely ignored Danny as he sized Kono up, a sneer forming on his lips. As if a silent signal had been given, the man seated directly next to her grabbed her arm and started pulling her out and off the bed of the truck. She struggled, yelling out, kicking and screaming. _

_Danny jumped into action, sending a right hook into the jaw of the abductor seated to his left. The man leaned over the edge of the truck and Danny leapt over him to tackle the man pulling Kono to the ground. _

_They scuffled for a moment in the dirt, Danny keenly aware that while he had knocked out one of the captors and was currently wrestling another, there was a third. The driver. Danny hoped that his distraction had been enough for Kono to make a break for it._

"_Danny!"_

_Kono's shout reached him through the sound of a groan escaping his lips when the man he was fighting landed a lucky kick to his gut._

_He wanted to turn around, make sure Kono was okay, but he was struggling even to stand. _

"_Danny!"_

_Another shout and Danny turned to look…_

"Danny! C'mon, man, wake up."

Steve's distraught voice is what finally pulls Danny away from his waking dream. He's laying flat on the ground, with Steve, Chin and a few others standing over him.

_How did I get on the ground?_

He shuts his eyes, but a hand on his shoulder shakes him roughly and he opens them again.

"No, no. Stay with me."

"I'm not… I'm not going anywhere, Steven."

Danny tries to sit up, and he feels Steve's hand guide and support him until he's upright.

"What happened?"

Chin hands Danny bottled water, which he accepts gratefully, taking a few long drinks as Steve answers him.

"I don't know. You called me on my cell, and the next thing I know I'm hearing you mumble something and then a horrible sound of you hitting the ground."

Danny nods and finishes off the water before handing it back to Chin. He tries to stand, but immediately realizes what a bad idea that is as the world around him tilts, small dots appearing in his vision.

"Whoa, easy there. Just stay down."

Danny is grateful as he hears Steve tell the other officers to return to the search. He doesn't feel comfortable with everyone standing over him, watching and waiting, like he might keel over at any moment.

A few minutes later and it's quiet. Steve and Chin wait patiently next to Danny as he tries to clear his head. The last memory had been powerful. Vivid. He looks around, a feeling of déjà vu washing over him. He has been here before. He can feel it.

He tries to stand again, but Steve prevents him from moving.

"Danny…"

"Let me up," he says forcefully. Steve and Chin exchange a quick glance, and they flank his sides and both help hoist him up to his feet. Danny waves them away, but they stick close. He shakily takes a few steps away from them both and then stops, standing in the middle of the road, before he turns to face them.

"I've been here before."

Chin steps forward hopefully. "Danny, do you know…"

Steve holds up a hand to cut Chin off, allowing Danny to continue uninterrupted.

"We came from that direction," Danny says, pointing to his left. "We didn't ride for long, I don't think, but we stopped right here," he continues, pointing directly at his feet.

He turns in a small circle, looking at the ground. There are no tire tracks. No signs of the struggle he knew he had with one of the captors. No evidence to back up what he is saying. Yet he knows that it's true. He had been here. He and Kono had been here before.

"They were taking Kono off the truck. They were going to kill her. I think I knew… I had some sort of plan, but I can't…" Danny trails off, frustrated.

Steve and Chin are standing completely still.

"I took out one of the men," Danny says, closing his eyes. "Tried to take down another. I remember..."

_The kick to my gut._

_The dust in my mouth._

_The sound of birds taking flight around me, startled by the sounds of the fight._

_Kono's shout..._

"_Danny!"_

"Kono was yelling out to me. But I…."

Danny stops and opens his eyes. Steve and Chin are staring at him expectantly. He thrusts his arms out helplessly before they fall down to his sides.

"I don't remember what happened next."

There is a moment of stilled silence before Chin and Steve erupt into a coordinated flurry of activity. Chin is running back down the hill to gather up additional HPD personnel. Steve is on the phone with dispatch, requesting aerial support and a SWAT team. Danny feels a mixture of emotions swirling within him. He's appreciative of the level of trust Steve and Chin have in him to mobilize the next steps based on Danny's word alone. However, doubt begins to creep in.

_What if I'm wrong?_

Steve is suddenly at his side again.

"We trust you, Danny."

Danny wants to berate Steve for being a freaking mind-reader, but he doesn't. He just smiles and hopes that it adequately conveys his thank you. It must, because his partner reaches out and slaps him on the upper arm.

"Come on. Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

************- - - - - - - - - - -  
>Chapter Four<br>**- - - - - - - - - - -**************

Aerial support confirms a small structure roughly two miles away from their current position. A SWAT team is being assembled. HPD has cut off all access points. All available units are covertly making their way toward the building where one of their own is being held.

They are ready.

Danny is hiking next to Steve, along with Chin and a handful of HPD officers, parallel to the road that leads straight to the building. It's hot. It's humid. Danny is exhausted and his head is throbbing.

"How can you handle this weather?" Danny moans quietly, squinting in the sun that is pouring down through the trees.

"I don't follow," Steve replies, not bothering to look over to Danny.

"It's always sunny. It's always hot. It's depressing."

Steve stops.

"Wait, you're saying that sunshine is depressing?"

Danny continues to walk, pointing at Steve as he brushes past him.

"Yes. Yes, it is. It's on days like these, when I'm forced to walk in this incessant heat, sweating through another one of my good shirts, when I miss seasons."

"There are seasons in Hawaii," Steve counters.

"Yes," Danny mocks. "Hot and hotter. Those are not seasons, Steven. Spring. Fall. Winter. That's what I'm talking about. Mornings when the grass is covered in frost. Evenings when I can see my breath fog up when I go outside. Muggy afternoons with a brief thunderstorm rolling through."

"We get thunderstorms," Steve interjects.

"That's not the point!" Danny declares, spinning around to face his partner. "The fact that you can live in a place where the weather report is the same day after day is beyond me. Where's the excitement in that?"

"Being kidnapped and beaten wasn't exciting enough for you?"

Danny rolls his eyes and begins his walk again.

"Too exciting," he mumbles. "Just chalk it up to another reason to hate this rock of an island."

"Geez, Danny, you could have just said that you hate Hawaii now more than ever, and I would have gotten the point ten minutes ago."

"All I'm saying is that Jersey is up on Hawaii by about 50 points right now."

"Oh really," Steve remarks.

"Yup," Danny adds. "Fifty to nothing."

"Hmm," Steve says thoughtfully. "Grace is on Hawaii. What about that?"

Danny stops.

"You're going to use my own daughter as an argument against me?"

Steve doesn't say anything as he continues walking down the trail.

"Fine," Danny concedes, resuming his pace. "One point for Hawaii."

"And malasadas?"

"Seriously?"

"You eat them all the time, Danny. You might as well be hired as a celebrity spokesman for them."

Danny huffs, the retort ready to leave his lips when Steve comes to an abrupt halt. Danny hikes up behind him, peering around his broad shoulders. Ahead and slightly hidden behind thick foliage was a square building.

"That's it," Danny said, his eyes glued to the structure.

Steve nods, then pulls out his radio. As he's barking orders and planning the assault, Danny's mind drifts to a small room.

_"Can you hear what they are saying?" _

_Danny pressed his ear harder against the metal door, holding up a single finger to signal Kono to keep quiet. He heard muffled voices coming from outside of their cell, but they were hard to hear._

_"….kill her and be done with.."_

_"But what …. the other one?"_

_"….him too…. be our next."_

_"They…of the Five-0… are…. crazy?"_

_"This is… we wanted….. send Five…. message. Next week…. kill him…"_

_The voices got softer as if they were walking away until Danny could no longer hear anything. He pushed his head away from the wall and returned to a sitting position, leaning his back against the door. He looked over to Kono, who was eyeing him expectantly._

_"I can't hear much, but it sounds like they might let one of us go."_

_"Really?" Though Kono tried to hide it, the hopefulness in her voice was hard to conceal, and Danny felt a pang of guilt. "But why would they do that?"_

_"I heard one say something about sending a message," Danny said thoughtfully._

_"A ransom demand?"_

_Danny nodded and the small movement made his head hurt._

_"Maybe."_

_Kono stood stiffly then walked over to where Danny was seated and sat next to him, their shoulders brushing slightly. He patted her knee once before rubbing his temples._

_"Listen," he starts, clearing his throat nervously, "I am going to do everything I can to make sure you are the one they let go."_

_Kono started to object, but Danny cut her off immediately._

_"No arguments," he said firmly. "If they really are letting one of us go, I want you to get yourself to McGarrett and Chin. I expect you three to come save my ass as soon as possible."_

_Assuming I'm still alive to be saved…. _

_"Got it?"_

_Tears welled up in Kono's dark eyes, but she nodded once. They didn't speak of it again._

"Got it?"

Danny blinks rapidly a few times, and then looks Steve in the face.

"What?"

"I want you to stay put."

Danny shakes his head, his mind still a little groggy and fuzzy from his miniature trip down memory lane.

"No," he begins, and Steve starts to protest. "Forget it, Steve. I'm coming."

And that's it. There is no room for argument. Steve looks him over one final time before nodding. He relays the plan to Danny, who is following along, only not really. His mind keeps drifting to the small room he knows Kono is in. Missing out on the details doesn't matter much anyway, as Steve hasn't given Danny anything vital to do. He's to stick close to Steve. Guide him the best he can once they are inside. Danny nods, throws on his best _I've got your back_ smile, and makes his own final preparations for the raid.

"We get in and out fast," Steve finishes. "Because if we take too long…"

"They're likely to kill Kono now," Danny finishes, taking the time to roll up his sleeves and pull out his weapon. "Cut their losses and run. I know what's at stake. Let's just do this."

Steve grimly nods, checks his weapon one final time, and then gives the silent go-ahead signal.

They move in silence to the entrance, taking up their relative positions on either side of the door. The moments tick by.

Finally, the door to the compound blasts open. Steve is the first to enter with Danny and Chin close behind. It's not a large room and the darkness only adds to the sensation of confinement and claustrophobia.

One hallway extends away from the room. A lone figure advances from the corridor, gunfire erupting from within the small space. Steve fires twice and the gunman drops to the floor. They move quickly down the hall; every door hangs open and there is still no sign of Kono.

They reach the end of the passage and Chin heads left while Steve and Danny go right. Danny has only gone a few feet before the blast of a shotgun reaches his ears. He sees Steve stiffen in front of him and they both stop. Another blast from behind them.

Steve turns and looks at Danny.

"Go ahead. I'll wait here," Danny says.

Steve nods and brushes past Danny quickly to provide Chin some back-up. He waits until Steve is out of sight before he continues down the walkway. He resolutely walks by two closed doors and heads straight to the one at the end of the hall. The one he knows Kono is in, without really even knowing.

Taking in a steadying breath, he tries the handle.

It's unlocked.

Slowly, he swings the door inward and peeks his head inside. The left side of the small, gray room is empty. He takes one step in, leaning forward to peer around the open door when suddenly his legs are swept out from under him and he feels the back of his head hit the cement floor hard as he goes down.

Sparks explode in his vision. He hears the door slam behind him. Then there are hands underneath him. On top of him. He flinches at first, expecting some sort of assault, but the hands are gentle. Calming.

"Oh Danny, I'm so sorry!"

Danny blinks rapidly, trying to clear his vision. Slowly, Kono's face comes into focus above him.

"Are you okay?"

Danny grunts in acknowledgement, sitting up to rub the back of his head.

He quickly looks her over. She looks terrible. There are dark circles under her eyes. Her shirt is torn on her left shoulder, and there is a deep abrasion on her cheek.

"I think I should be asking you that," he says finally, pointing to her cheek.

She doesn't say anything, but looks over Danny's shoulder. He twists around to see an unconscious man lying on the floor, his torso propped up slightly by the wall. His feet are sprawled out in front of him, his arms lying limply at his sides.

"No worries, brah, I got it under control."

Danny turns to look back at her.

"I can see that."

"I heard the gunfire," she explains. "I waited by the door, and when this guy came in, I surprised him much like I did you. Sorry about that again, by the way. I was about to come out when I saw the door opening again. I thought it was another one…"

"You don't need to apologize, Kono," Danny says reassuringly. The last thing he wants is for her to feel bad. "Besides, Steve got the other guy when we arrived. So we're all good."

Danny stands up, but Kono shakes her head.

"There are four men, Danny," she states. "Remember? Four, not three."

Danny shakes his head and turns again to look at the unconscious man on the floor. Now that he looks closely, he doesn't look familiar.

"I don't remember him," Danny says, pointing to the motionless figure.

"You don't?" Kono asks, as she helps Danny to his feet. "But… how? I mean, he's the one…"

She trails off and Danny looks back at her, pain etching across her face.

"What?"

"Well, he's the one who gave you _that_, for starters."

Danny looks down to see Kono pointing at the now-healing gash on his forearm. He screws up his face in concentration, but still cannot recall how he received that particular wound.

"You really don't remember?" Kono gently asks.

Before Danny can answer, the sound of gunfire echoes in the small room. Danny picks up his weapon and he stands against the wall by the door, silently urging Kono to take up a stance on the other side.

The door opens and Danny tenses. A man steps through and Danny immediately recognizes him. Bald head. Gold front tooth. Danny moves away from the wall.

"Hey," he says conversationally. "Remember me?"

Danny swings back and rams his gun into the side of the man's head, satisfied as he crumples to the floor. He stands over his unconscious body, gripping his weapon tightly.

"Danny?"

He can hear her concerned voice, but he doesn't listen. His arm slowly raises, the barrel of his gun pointing at the still form at his feet. His head throbs. His heart races.

"Danny!" Kono repeats forcefully.

He blinks a few times and shakes his head. He turns to look at Kono and offers her a brief smile.

"Let's go," he whispers as he takes her hand.

Together they head out of the small room. The second they step into the hallway, Danny hears a shout and sees a blur rush past him as Kono runs to Chin. The cousins embrace and Danny watches as Chin's usually stoic demeanor crumbles away.

Steve steps out from behind them and makes his way over to Danny.

"You okay?"

Danny nods.

Steve doesn't look convinced.

"Here, why don't you sit down?"

Danny looks to Steve with glossy eyes and shakes his head. When did he lose the ability to speak?

"Danny?"

"Need… out," Danny says breathlessly, feeling the panic grip him. Danny feels like he's drowning and the desperate need to get out is overwhelming.

Steve puts a hand on Danny's shoulder and begins to lead him down the hall toward the exit. They reach the door and though the air is muggy and hot, Danny feels as though he's broken through the surface and he takes deep, cleansing breaths.

"It's okay, Danny," Steve soothes from somewhere beside him. "You're okay. Kono's okay. It's over."

And through Danny's panted breathing, he turns to look at Steve and tries to smile, knowing Steve is right.

It is over.


	5. Epilogue

**************- - - - - - - -  
>Epilogue<br>**- - - - - - - - ****************

Danny, along with Kono, is readmitted to the hospital that evening for observation. The doctors aren't too happy with his blood pressure, not to mention the large bump he has on the back of his head from his fall, and they lecture him on the dangers of signing out of the hospital AMA. He does his best to reassure them that he won't do this again. That he'll take it easy for the next week. That with any luck, they'll never see him in the hospital again.

But with McGarrett as a partner, one can never be sure about these things.

It's late – well past visiting hours – and Danny can't sleep. Steve had left long ago, after Danny had nearly talked himself hoarse, insisting over and over that he was fine. It looked as though Kono had kicked her cousin out too, since Chin had poked his head in to say goodnight. So now Danny tries to relax as the machine he's hooked up to checks his blood pressure for the third time this hour.

He's reclining in another uncomfortable bed, one hand draped up and behind his head, staring at the ceiling. The day's events are running through his mind again. He casts about in his memories, trying to pull up the missing pieces of the ordeal he's been through, but is disappointed. He thought by now he'd have remembered it all. But the large gaps still loom. And Danny hates it.

He and Kono have had little time to talk since the rescue in the jungle. Steve had been present when she gave her statement to HPD, and though Danny had tried to get the details out of him, he refused, stating that if Kono wanted to talk about it, she'd tell Danny herself. It was driving Danny mad, but he reluctantly agreed.

"Nice face."

The familiar voice coming from the doorway startles Danny and he sits up so rapidly, he gets dizzy. He closes his eyes, gets his bearings, and then opens them to find Kono sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Reminds me of Steve."

Danny rolls his eyes, settling back against the pillows on his bed.

"Fantastic," he replies sarcastically. "My worst fears are coming true."

"What's that?"

"Steve is rubbing off on me."

Kono laughs and then goes quiet. She plays with the sheets on Danny's bed and he waits, taking time to look her over. Though she looks tired and worn, she still manages to look attractive in her hospital gown. The gash on her cheek has been cleaned and dressed, but Danny notices other wounds… bruises on her hands… a scratch on her neck. Hatred burns inside him, and he buries it with great effort.

Kono is still quiet, but he can tell that she wants to talk. Danny stays quiet, allowing her to take her time.

"Chin says that you can remember some stuff, but not everything?"

Danny sits up higher, adjusting the pillows behind him, and nods.

"He says that you can remember the ride on the truck… and how you tackled that guy to the ground?"

"Yeah," Danny says. "Yeah, I remember you calling out to me while I was on the ground, but after that… there's nothing."

Kono meets his gaze for a moment and then looks away, brushing some hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear.

"They were going to kill me. We both knew it. I actually think you knew beforehand, but you didn't tell me. Thinking back on it, you just had this look about you… like you had made up your mind about something, but I ignored it."

Danny recalls the memory… hearing the conversation, knowing they were going to kill Kono, deciding to try to save her instead of himself… Only he couldn't remember _how_ he'd ended up in the jungle, and Kono had stayed behind.

"You jumped off the truck and started attacking them. I tried to run, knowing it's what you wanted, but I didn't get anywhere before I was grabbed. I yelled for you… thinking maybe you could still get away…"

She trails off and looks back to Danny. Her eyes are wet and her cheeks are flushed, but she continues.

"You turned around after I called to you again and that's when the third guy… the one you initially knocked out on the truck… he barreled for you at full speed. You sidestepped him quickly enough, but he grabbed hold of your back as he was falling down. You both…"

She pauses a moment to wipe a tear from her cheek.

"You both went over the ledge. All I could do was watch as you rolled down… the other guy stopped halfway. But you…"

Danny leans forward to reach a hand out and Kono takes it. He squeezes it reassuringly and she looks up at him and smiles.

"I thought you were dead. I could barely see you at the bottom of the slope, and you weren't moving. They thought you were dead too, and they laughed. Started talking about how they were going to call HPD. How they wished they could stick around to see the look on their faces when they found you."

Kono lets out small sob when she finishes. Danny moves his other hand over and cradles her hand in both of his.

"I realized then who they were. That I was going to be next. I felt so stupid, not figuring it out before. But you knew, didn't you?"

Danny holds his breath, not sure how she'll take the news that he withheld that information from her. He doesn't truly understand it himself, but he nods.

"I knew," he admits quietly. "I'm not sure how… all the things I remember, all the pieces… it doesn't all connect, you know? But I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I think… I just think I wanted to spare you some of that."

Kono sniffles and is quiet for a moment.

"You know," she continues, moving her eyes back down to the bed. "I think I envy you a little bit."

"What?"

She shrugs.

"Not being able to remember it all… There are things that I'd like to forget. Like you tumbling down… thinking you were dead."

Danny contemplates that for a moment.

"When we were… taken… was it really that bad?"

"It was pretty dicey for awhile," she admits quietly.

Danny immediately feels guilt-ridden. He's been complaining all day to anyone who would listen how angry he is at his lack of memory. All the while Kono has been living in her own silent torment over things she'd rather _not_ remember.

"Kono, I'm so sorry…" Danny begins, and Kono's head shoots up. She fixes him with such a strong gaze that Danny immediately stops talking.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she says, her voice loud and unwavering. "You risked yourself for me, and you saved my life, Danny. And that is something I will never, _ever_, be able to repay you for."

Danny's breath hitches at the conviction in her voice. He doesn't know what to say, so he falls back to what he does best.

"Well, that figures," he says flippantly. "I'm finally a hero and I don't even remember the details."

"That's okay, Danny," she says softly, putting her other hand on top of his and squeezing it lightly. "I'll remember for the both of us."

_The End._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Thank you so much for the many reviews and alerts! They really mean a lot to me! (not to mention I really do enjoy chatting with you, too!)**

**This story started as "A is for Abducted" for my ABC series. But, as you can see, it got rather long. Cokie316, in her infinite wisdom, suggested I break it up, and as usual, she was right. I owe her, and sockie1000, both a huge THANK YOU for their numerous reads and re-reads of this story. Thank you ladies!**


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